The 20th anniversary edition of the international Plast 2026 trade fair, one of Europe’s most important events for the plastics and rubber industry, was held on 9–12 June 2026 at the Fiera Milano exhibition centre in Rho. This year’s edition confirmed the fair’s role as a venue for technology showcases, knowledge exchange and the development of international business contacts. Despite the difficult economic and geopolitical situation that has affected many industrial sectors in recent years, the organisers succeeded in delivering a large-scale event with a broad thematic scope.
Scale of the event and its international character
Plast 2026 brought together more than 1,000 exhibitors from 45 countries, presenting their solutions across more than 40,000 m² of net exhibition space. The exhibition was spread across six halls, occupying a significant part of the MaTec complex, a project bringing together events dedicated to advanced materials and technologies.
Of all exhibitors, 56% were Italian companies, while 44% came from abroad. This confirmed the international character of the event and its importance for the plastics and rubber industry not only in Italy, but across the wider European market as well. Another significant sign was the presence of around 200 companies that had not taken part in either of the two previous editions of the fair. In the context of economic slowdown and investment uncertainty, this result may be seen as an expression of the industry’s confidence in the Plast brand and its potential as a tool supporting business development and commercial relations.
The number of international business visitors was also significant. Thanks to cooperation with ICE – Italian Trade Agency and industry organisations from around the world, more than 300 invited buyers from 30 countries came to Milan. They included representatives from Albania, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Morocco, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Hungary and Vietnam. Particularly large delegations came from India and Latin American countries.
Polish delegation in Milan
On 9–11 June, at the invitation of ITA – Italian Trade Agency in Warsaw, a Polish delegation visited Milan, comprising 11 industry representatives and two media platforms supporting the development of the sector.
The Polish delegation represented various areas of the value chain. It included companies specialising in injection moulding and thermoforming processing, such as SPLAST, Bilplast and KGL S.A.; companies active in chemicals and technical components for the automotive, aerospace and transport sectors – Plastbud, GUMAT, INTAP and ROMA LTD. – as well as representatives of composite technologies, textile engineering and the circular economy: Rymatex, TC3, VIVE Textile Recycling and Sinoma.pl.
The mission enabled direct contacts with Italian companies active in plastics, rubber, machinery, components, packaging and the circular economy. It also provided an opportunity for exchange of experience, networking and the identification of new business cooperation opportunities.
For ITA – Italian Trade Agency in Warsaw, inviting selected delegations to the most important Italian trade fairs remains one of the practical tools for trade promotion. The aim of these activities is not only to increase the visibility of Italian industry, but above all to create conditions for direct talks and practical cooperation between Italian companies and partners from international markets.
Official opening and accompanying events
The official opening of the fair took place on 9 June at the main Corso Italia avenue. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by representatives of local authorities, export support institutions and industry organisations. Invited guests included Rosario Pantaleo, representing the Milan City Council, Maurizio Forte of ICE, Francesco Conci, CEO of Fiera Milano, Massimo Margaglione, President of Amaplast, Enrico Aureli, President of Acimall, and Roberto Frassine, President of Assocompositi.
Plast 2026 was held in parallel with Xylexpo and Composites Future, jointly creating the MaTec – Next Materials and Technologies project. Its aim was to demonstrate synergies between different sectors of modern industry and the growing importance of materials, processing technologies and composite solutions.
A comprehensive presentation of the industry
One of the fair’s greatest strengths was the opportunity to explore the entire value chain of the plastics and rubber industry. In addition to the main exhibition, visitors could attend three satellite events: Rubber, 3D Plast and Plast-Mat.
Rubber focused on the rubber sector, from raw materials and processing technologies to finished industrial applications. Plast-Mat was dedicated to material innovations and new solutions responding to the needs of modern manufacturing. Particular attention, however, was attracted by the refreshed 3D Plast format, which was expanded into an innovation hub under the name 3DPlastLab.
3DPlastLab – a laboratory of the future
Unlike traditional exhibition zones, 3DPlastLab was designed as a space for experience, practical implementation showcases and co-creation of knowledge. It served as a meeting place for representatives of industry, science, design and new technologies.
The concept was developed with the involvement of Simone Maccagan, associated with Gimac and eXgineering, and Pierpaolo Ruttico from the Indexlab digital fabrication laboratory at the Polytechnic University of Milan.
In the zone, covering more than 400 m², participants could explore applications of additive technologies, prototypes and research and development projects. The programme included presentations and debates devoted to issues such as:
- new materials for 3D printing,
- artificial intelligence in production processes,
- computational design,
- distributed ledger technologies,
- sustainability,
- new industrial models.
The exhibition was divided into four areas: materials, technologies, production systems and design techniques. The most innovative solutions were recognised with special awards.
Conference programme
Throughout all four days of the fair, conferences, seminars and panel discussions were held with the participation of representatives of public institutions, industry associations, research centres and companies.
The topics discussed included:
- the competitiveness of European industry,
- the circular economy,
- plastics recycling,
- regulatory challenges,
- digitalisation of production processes,
- automation,
- sustainability,
- technological innovation.
The conference programme complemented the exhibition, creating space for discussion of the most important challenges currently facing the plastics and rubber sector.
Market condition and Amaplast data
An important part of the event was the presentation of economic analyses prepared by the Amaplast research centre. According to the data presented, the Italian sector of manufacturers of machinery, equipment and moulds for plastics and rubber processing ended 2025 with a production decline of around 5%, reaching a value of EUR 4.4 billion. Exports, accounting for around three quarters of production, also decreased by about 5%, to slightly more than EUR 3.4 billion. At the same time, imports of technology increased by nearly 24%, indicating continued domestic demand, partly supported by Industry 4.0 and 5.0 programmes. As a result, the sector’s trade surplus fell from a record EUR 2.65 billion in 2024 to EUR 2.24 billion.
Geopolitical challenges
Experts indicated that 2025 was marked by numerous uncertainties. Among the most important factors affecting the industry were:
- the tariff policy of the US administration,
- higher tariffs on steel and aluminium,
- the weakening of the dollar against the euro,
- the energy crisis linked to the conflict in the Middle East,
- rising gas, oil and raw material prices,
- difficulties related to the implementation of the European PPWR regulations on packaging and packaging waste.
Of particular concern was the reduced willingness of companies to invest in the European market.
Export destinations
Export data showed a mixed situation across individual markets. Declines were recorded in sales to Germany and France, traditionally among Italy’s most important trading partners. At the same time, sales to Spain, Poland and Romania increased. The situation on the US market was also assessed positively, where exports of Italian technologies rose by nearly 9%. Even greater potential was identified in India, where sales of Italian machinery have more than tripled over the past ten years.
Among product categories, declines were recorded in extruders, blow moulding machines, flexographic machines and moulds, while only injection moulding machines recorded sales growth. Despite the difficulties, 54% of companies associated with Amaplast ended the year with lower sales, but the industry managed to maintain employment levels, which rose by around 0.5%.
Anniversary exhibition “The Origins of Plast”
To mark the twentieth edition, an exhibition dedicated to the history of the fair was prepared. In Halls 13 and 15, photographs, posters and archival documents were presented, showing the event’s development from its first edition in 1964. It was recalled that the fair initially operated under the name Salone Europeo delle Materie Plastiche e della Gomma, bringing together around 800 exhibitors and several thousand visitors. In subsequent years, Plast developed dynamically, moving from a four-year to a three-year cycle.
The exhibition also presented the history of the development of plastics themselves, from the popularisation of polyethylene and polypropylene, discovered by Nobel Prize laureate Giulio Natta, to the growing importance of the machinery industry.
The figure of Armando Testa, creator of the Plast visual identity from 1969, was also recalled. His iconic 1972 poster was included in the architecture and design collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.
The exhibition also showed the development of technology over subsequent decades: the growing importance of injection moulding machines, the expansion of extrusion technology, the development of blow moulding machinery, and the increasingly broad use of plastics in automotive and construction applications.
Art & Plastics – where art meets industry
An unusual element of the fair was the Art & Plastics zone, which presented plastics as a medium of artistic expression. The projects on display included:- the Lady Be exhibition, presenting 24 works made from recycled materials and interactive installations using artificial intelligence;
- an exhibition by Pina Inferrera, exploring relationships between light, matter and perception;
- the project “Polimeri d'arte: Le Tavole d'Arte da mangiare”, combining contemporary art with reflection on the function and transience of materials;
- installations by Tommy Bonicelli, who through his “ectoplastic aesthetics” transformed everyday objects into symbols of memory and consumption.
These events showed that plastics can be not only an industrial material, but also a tool for artistic narrative and reflection on contemporary reality.
Summary
Plast 2026 once again demonstrated that it remains one of the most important events for the plastics and rubber industry in Europe. Despite unfavourable economic and geopolitical conditions, the fair brought together a record number of exhibitors and international guests, becoming a venue for the presentation of the latest technologies, exchange of knowledge and development of business relationships.
The extensive conference programme, innovative thematic zones, anniversary historical exhibition and initiatives linking industry with art demonstrated the multidimensional character of today’s plastics and rubber industry. Plast 2026 not only summarised the current state of the sector, but also outlined directions for its further development, highlighting the importance of innovation, international cooperation and the ability to adapt to rapidly changing market conditions.
